Machine-to-machine (M2M) communication systems may involve an arrangement of devices in a network to periodically transmit and/or receive relatively small amounts of data to a remote application/server. Machine-to-machine systems are sometimes referred to as an “Internet of things” to exchange information between a subscriber station and a server in a core network via a wireless link with a base station or a wired link, or alternatively between other subscriber stations, wherein the exchange of information may be carried out without requiring or involving human interaction. For example, field data may be gathered by the M2M devices and sent back to a monitoring station for collection and analysis. In such an example, the M2M devices may comprise parking meters. When the parking meter is full of coins and is ready to be emptied, a given parking meter may communicate its state to a monitoring server coupled to the network, in which case an operator may then go that parking meter and remove the coins stored therein. In yet another example, M2M devices may be deployed to monitor for the presence of a specified hazardous substance such as a chemical agent, a biological agent, and/or a radionuclide wherein the M2M device includes an appropriate sensor.
Multiple machine-to-machine (M2M) devices are typically grouped together and assigned a common identifier for the group. The common identifier allows the data transmissions to or from the group of M2M devices to be handled collectively rather than by a given device individually. However, from time to time one or more of the devices may be relocated from one group to another group, in which case moved device(s) should be assigned to a new group identifier.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and/or clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, if considered appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding and/or analogous elements.